Public Comments Spotlight ADU Sizes, Neighborhood Associations and Wetland Concerns; Council Approves Consent Agenda and Rules Update

Lakewood — During the Feb. 3 public-comment period, residents raised three recurring concerns: accessory dwelling unit (ADU) size limits, support for neighborhood associations, and environmental concerns tied to a Pierce County project.

ADU minimum size: Local architect James Guerrero told the council the city code adopted a minimum gross floor area tied to ADUs that he said reads in part as a 1,000-square-foot threshold for both attached and detached ADUs. Guerrero said other jurisdictions he reviewed commonly allow much smaller ADUs — citing examples such as 320 square feet, 300 square feet — and that a 1,000-square-foot minimum “really limits what an ADU is.” Dave Durr, a Lakewood resident who said he and his family have built and are planning a second ADU, echoed Guerrero and said a 1,000-square-foot minimum can push against setbacks and make ADUs infeasible on some…